The present invention relates, in general, to a method and apparatus for measuring depth of penetration and hardness into and of a material to be tested. In particular, the method and apparatus of the invention utilizes responds to a signal from a load cell that indicates a force applied to a tool for making an indentation on a sample of the material. The signal discontinues the force when a set point has been reached and depth of penetration, and/or hardness is measured either optically or by using a second load cell in an inventive arrangement.
Present systems used to measure the hardness or micro-hardness of, particularly, metallic samples are known as the Brinell, Vickers or Rockwell systems. Each of these requires that a known weight be placed on top of a ball or diamond penetrator which contacts the surface of a sample, to create an indentation in the sample. The weight and penetrator are then removed and the sample transferred to optical computation apparatus to calculate the hardness of the sample from an optical determination of the size of the indentation made in the sample by the weight and penetrator.